ts. She told me all this herself, because she was not in the least
reticent about her scheming, especially after her scheming had failed.
She would, however, not divulge the name of her travelling companion,
who tried to befriend her by introducing her to some of his
acquaintances, with the view of obtaining singing lessons for her. "But
I did not make my expenses, because you English are so very moral and my
patron was suspected of not giving himself all that trouble for nothing.
Besides, they managed to ferret out that I was not the widow of a
Spanish officer, but the wife of an English one; and then, as you may
imagine, it was all up. I got, however, an engagement at the Opera House
in the ballet, but not for long; of course, I could not dance much, but
I could dance as well as half your wooden ugly women that were there.
But they told tales about me, and the manager dismissed me."[16]

[Footnote 16: The English nobleman must have been Lord
Malmesbury, who alludes to her as follows: "This was a most
remarkable woman, and may be said by her conduct at Munich to
have set fire to the magazine of revolution, which was ready to
burst forth all over Europe, and which made the year 1848
memorable. I made her acquaintance by accident, as I was going
up to London from Heron Court, in the railway. The Consul at
Southampton asked me to take charge of a Spanish lady who had
been recommended to his care, and who had just landed. I
consented to do this, and was introduced by him to a remarkably
handsome person, who was in deep mourning, and who appeared to
be in great distress. As we were alone in the carriage, she, of
her own accord, informed me, in bad English, that she was the
widow of Don Diego Leon, who had lately been shot by the
Carlists after he was taken prisoner, and that she was going to
London to sell some Spanish property that she possessed, and
give lessons in singing, as she was very poor. On arriving in
London she took some lodgings, and came to my house to a little
concert which I gave, and sang some Spanish ballads. Her accent
was foreign, and she had all the appearance of being what she
pretended to be. She sold different things, such as veils,
etc., to the party present, and received a good deal of
patronage.